Luggage



NOV.,14, 1944. l E, DRESNER i 2,362,807

LUGGAGE Filed Nov. 22, 1945 4 sneetssneet 1 frz vezzor Nov. 14, 1944. E. DRESNER LUGGAGE Filed Nov. 22, 194s 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E' DRESNER NOV. 14,

LUGGAGE Filed Nov. 22, 1943 jizz/6 r' Emanuel resneh ffl/for@ 5 I Nov. 14, 1944.

E. DRESNER LUGGAGE 4 Sheets-Sheet y4A n im w m Filed NOV, 22, 1943 Patented Nov. 14, 1944 lLoodsen;

.-Emanuel;Dresner,` Chicago, rlll., assigner. tor Fan-A '.nie. Poster, Chicago, Ill.

Application Nvember 22, 1943,seria1N0. 511,241

f Claims.

My invention relates to luggage and' includes.

among its objects and advantages, an increase in the range of sizes available to the user of a'single unit of luggage and. improved means for holding a variety of long garments with a minimum of crushing or wrinkling. Y

'In the accompanying drawings: e

Fig. l isa perspective view of a complete unit and according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is asimilar perspective ofthe outer containerV of' the same unit, thrown open;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the inner container in the condition of separate use;

Fig.' 4 is a central transverse` section. of the unit in the condition of Fig. 2;

'Fig'. 5 is asimilar section Withr the unit closed;

.Fig. 6 is a detail section. on` line 6--6l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 isa section on lineY 1 1, Fig. 4f;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig, 1 showing a modified carrying arrangement Fig.f9 indicates the application ofl the principles ofthe invention to a piece of luggage of the rigid frame type; and

Fig.v 10 is a viewl of theouter container of Fig. 9 with the inner container removed. `v y In 'the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in'Fig's. 1v to 7 inc1usive,.the outercon-y tainer I`0' and the-'inner container I2'v are'both of the semi-rigid type vof.-construction.v The outer container includes the bottom wall ['4 and vslightly tapering end walls I6.. .The rear wallA I8, top wall andfulllength` closure flap 22 may beformed -of a single piece of material with or'without reinforcement means otherthan the seams 24 which fasten the back I8' and top A2l) to the end walls I6. The front panel 26 is capable of rotation around a hinge at 28' formedin this instance, by

theflexibility of the material itself. The hinge 28 permitsfthe cover 26 to move from theclosed position of Fig; '5 to the open position of Fig. 4, and 90 further Without injury to the hinge. The front 26 is reinforced by a cleat 30 vralong eachl of itsV end edges and may alsobebraced longitudinally byr a thin reinforcing strip 32"lying close against the panelitself and notched into thel Suitable meansare provided for suspending a plurality of relatively longgarments from the' top 20. I have indicatedabracing strip 34- for the top 20, generally similar tothe bracing strip 32, and a. U-shapedl hanger support Illiofv rnetalyat-` tachedto the top 20 and brace'34substantially midway betweenthe ends thereof.

"The inner container I 2 has relatively thicky end walls made' upof'a rigid-piece 38E anda covery panelI 4U', andv they top 42 lis of simil'ar'construction comprising a rigid piece 42l with a coverpanel- 44, which is extended at-46 to form a front hinged at 48. The panel-44 is 'also extended in the other direction to form ashort ap 5|]A hinged at 52' and provided with a plurality oifemale` snap fastener members 54 adapted to cooperate Wi'ththe male snapfastener members 56 to fasten the inner container in thepositions of Figs. 2 and-4 and-support it in the position of Fig. 5.

TheV back of the inner container l2 is provided with adouble set of rmale snapl fastener members 5s and the panel isjis provided with a fasteningmeans at Ell in the nature of snap fasteners. And thetop 42 is provided with a carrying handle 52 sothat theinner container may be used by itself as a complete piecefof luggage in the condition* illustrated in Fig. 3 with the apll turned down and held downby engagement with the male snap fastener members 58.

InV using the complete unit illustrated inFigs. 4 and 5, one or more' long garments 64 may be draped on conventional hangers 66" and the hangers engaged with the support 36, with the lower portions of the garments'laid smoothly and evenly out across the front panel-25. 'Then the inner-container |12, either before or-after it has been iilled'withclothing or other articles, is positioned as inFig. 4 and'thesnap fasteners 54 are engaged andthe cover 4'6 closed. This lets the Weight of the inner containerrrest gently on the 'lower portion of the garments B4, and the user will readily learn after a very few attempts how much slack to leave toY permitrthe garments to Wrap themselves around the inner container as the parts are moved to theposition of Fig. 5. Before this movement takesy placethe user may position additional clothing or other articlesl at 68 or'in front of the upper portions of the garments 64, depending on how many garments there fastened to the adjacent cleat 3'and having an l upwardly extendingl reach vterminating lin. a

female snap-fastener: memben. The adjacent tainer is provided with a plurality of male snap fastener members B2 so that the user can fasten the end of the strap '18 to which ever male snap fastener member is appropriate for the purpose of maintaining a gentle compression on the lower portions of the garment 64 between the relatively wide flat brace 32 and the entire flat rear wall of the inner container.

The equipment of Fig. 8 differs from that of Fig. 1 in having the `handle 84 for carrying the entire unit at the end of the unit. It will be apparent that such garments as 64, after they have been suitably assembled with the luggage as in Fig. 5, are gently compressed throughout substantially their entire extent in the U-shaped space between the inner and outer containers so that such an assembly may be carried in the position indicated at Fig. 8 without causing the garments to become rumpled.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, I have illustrated an outer container of the rigid suitcase variety having relatively rigid end walls 86, side walls 88 and bottom wall 90. The cover 92 is also relatively rigid, having a peripheral ange 94 to contribute to its strength, and a separate exible hinge member 96 to hinge it to the body. To take care of a wide variety of lengths of garments, I have indicated a conventional type of hanger comprising a longitudinal beam 98 from which longitudinal clamping members are supported by wire spacers |02. The spacers |02 normally diverge to assist the user in inserting material between the clamping straps |00 and may be drawn together by slidable loops 104 to cause the device to clamp the garment. And the adjustable supporting strap |06 enables the user to position the clamp at the desired point, and so that it will hold the garments smooth but not under tension when the parts are folded up.

It will be apparent that the user oi such a unit oi luggage can travel in four different ways; iirst, with only the container of Fig. 3, as on short overnight trips; second, with the large container of Fig. 2 and without the small container, as on trips to the laundry; third, with the unit in the condition of Fig. 5, which will be, perhaps, the usual condition; and lastly, under conditions where a large amount of carrying capacity is l paramount, with the large container and the small container each carried separately.

Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may, by applying knowledge current now or at the time of such application, readily adapt the same for.

use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. Luggage equipment comprising: in combina tion: an outer container having two hinged portions and shaped to rest on a horizontal support, such as a oor, with one section vertical and the other section opened to a horizontal position; means near the top of the vertical section for suspending the ends of garments with the body of each garment extending downwardly and then laterally across the opened horizontal portion; an inner container smaller than the other container; hinged means for attaching the inner container to the free edge of the opened section whereby the inner container may be laid gently over the remote ends of the suspended garments and then folded to closed position together with said opened section; the lower end of said inner container being of a size adapted, when moved into closed position, to displace and press against the bights of the suspended garments; said hinged connection for supporting said inner container being oiset from the center of gravity of said inner container in a direction away from the suspended ends of said garments whereby said inner container tends by gravity to press gently against the free ends of the garments after the outer container has been closed; said inner container being tapered with its upper end smaller than its lower end, whereby the face of the said inner container opposite the suspended ends of the garments lies at an acute angle to the opposed outer container wall, and thus affords additional clearance adjacent the shoulder portions of said suspended garments.

2. Luggage equipment comprising: in combination; an outer container having two hinged portions and shaped to rest on a horizontal support, such as a floor, with one section vertical and the other Section opened to a horizontal position; means near the top of the vertical section for suspending the ends of garments with the body of each garment extending downwardly and then laterally across the opened horizontal portion; an inner container smaller than the other container; hinged means for attaching the inner container to the free edge of the opened section whereby the inner container may be laid gently over the remote ends of the suspended garments and then folded to closed position together with said opened section; the lower end of said inner container being of a size adapted, when moved to closed position, to displace and press against the bights of thesuspended garments; said hinged connection for supporting said inner container being offset from the center of gravity of said inner container in a direction away from the suspended ends of said garments whereby said inner container tends by gravity to press gently against the free ends of the garments after the outer container has been closed.

3. Luggage equipment comprising: in combination an outer container having two hinged portions and shaped to rest 0n a horizontal support, such as a floor, with one section vertical and the other section opened to a horizontal position; means near the top of the vertical section for suspending the ends of garments with the body of each garment extending downwardly and then laterally across the opened horizontal portion; an -inner container smaller than the other container; hinged means for attaching the inner container to the free edge of the opened section whereby the inner container may be laid gently over the remote ends of the suspended garments and then folded to closed position together with said opened section; the lower end of said inner container being of a size adapted, when moved to closed position, to displace and press against the oights of the suspended garments; said inner container being tapered with its upper end smaller than its lower end, whereby the face of -the said inner container opposite the suspended garments ends lies at an acute angle to the opposite outer container Wall and thus affords additional clearance adjacent the shoulder portions of said suspended garments.

4. Luggage equipment comprising, in combination: an'outer` container having two portions; hinge means hingedly connecting said portions along one edge of each; means on one rstmentioned portion remote from said hinge means for suspending the ends of garments with the body of each garment `extending toward said hinge means and then laterally across and away y from said hinge means adjacent the other; second-mentioned, portion;

an inner container smaller than the outer container; means for attaching the inner container to said second-mentioned portion along aline remote from and substantially parallel to said hinge means, wherebythe inner container may be laid gently over the remote ends of the suspended garments and the second-mentioned portion and inner container then folded to closed position; -the lower end of said inner container beingr of a size adapted, when moved to closed position, to displace and press against the bights of the suspended garments; said attaching means being offset from along one edge of each; means on one firstmentioned portion remote from said hinge means for suspending the ends of garments with the body'of each garment extending toward said the center of gravity of said inner container in a direction away from the suspended ends ofsaid garments, whereby said inner container tends by gravity vto press gently against the free ends of the garments after the outer container has been closed; and handle means on said outer container remote from said hinge means and adapted to carry it with said hinge means at the bottom.

A5. Luggage equipment comprising, in combination: an outer 4container having two portions; hinge means hingedly connecting` said portions hinge m'eans and then laterally across and awayv from said hinge means adjacent the other, second-mentioned, portion; an inner container smaller than the outer container; and means for attaching the inner container to said secondmentioned portion along a line remote from and substantially parallel to said hinge means, whereby the inner container may be laid gently over ythe remote ends of the suspended garments and the second-mentioned portion and inner vcontainer then folded to closing position; said attaching means being oiset from the center of gravity of said inner container in a direction away from' the suspended ends of said garments, whereby said inner container tends by gravity to press gently against thevfree ends of the garments after the outer container has been closed;

and handle means on said outer container remote from said hinge means and adapted to carry it with said hinge means at the bottom.

EMANUEL DRESNER. 

